Singlecoil Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 I have about 1000 miles on my new engine and it has been idling just a little rough since it was put in. I mentioned it to one guy at the shop when I had the 300 mile oil change and he seemed to think it was just breaking in. I've also noticed the mileage seems to have slipped by about 3 or 4 mpg. Could this be a simple mixture adjustment on the carby? Why would that have changed from swapping the engine? I put super in the old motor to prevent it from pinging, and notice the new motor takes regular just fine. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasteland Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 Is the emissions system still intact? It might be a vac leak. Take a can of carb cleaner and hose down the intake etc. while it's running, if it stumbles, you got a vac leak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 welcome to the joys of having a carbbed EA82. My car runs anywhere from 18 mpg to 27 mpg depending on how it feels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaissanceMan Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 you might wanna make sure they put carb camshafts in it. MPFI turbo camshafts are also the same, but if they put in a motor/cams from a SPFI which is highly possible, then you have a lot more overlap than your supposed to. which at idle will also cause a lower vacuum resulting in less fuel... but more fuel at high RPMs... just my 2 cents... -Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singlecoil Posted September 9, 2004 Author Share Posted September 9, 2004 welcome to the joys of having a carbbed EA82. My car runs anywhere from 18 mpg to 27 mpg depending on how it feels. Don't tell me there's another 86 GL Wagon in Anchorage with no rust (your pictures looked pretty good)? I thought I had the market cornered on that one. I going to look into the camshaft deal like Renaissance man suggested. This car always got 27 mpg on the old engine and now it doesn't and doesn't ping on regular. If it is getting more fuel because of the cams, that could explain both, no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 The problem might just be be a bad plug or plugwire. Even new one ones can be bad, though not often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 Don't tell me there's another 86 GL Wagon in Anchorage with no rust (your pictures looked pretty good)? I thought I had the market cornered on that one. I'm in fairbanks. But yea minus a few patches its rust free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singlecoil Posted March 30, 2005 Author Share Posted March 30, 2005 Update: I've had it back in the shop for adjustments but it still seems largely the same. It seems to idle fine when cold, then at normal operating temp it idles rough. This is a factory new EA-82 with about 4000 miles on it. The car is a carbeurated '86 GL Wagon with California emissions. Is there a way to tell if the cams are the correct ones, as Renaissance Man suggests, without tearing the engine apart? Anything about California emissions that might cause this? It seems like the old, worn-out engine got slightly better mileage and idled smoother. They've checked for vacuum leaks and tweaked the basic specs all they can. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85Sub4WD Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 carbed EA-82's idle roughly all the time - why I converted to SPFI the cams (according to my '85 FSM) for turbos and carbed cars are VERY different - lobe height, opening/close timing, etc. - you would also feel a very odd power curve if you had the incorrect cams in it - actually the SPFI cams are pretty close to the carb ones (comparing using an '89 FSM) - should run fine, though I know carb cams offer more low end (carbed engines hit peak HP at 4,800, SPFI over 5k) realistically - I SERIOUSLY doubt your cams are incorrect - you would probably have other symptoms - it would cost a lot to find out for sure my bet is a crudded carb or emissions system - the emissions system on these cars (carbed ones) must be running PERFECTLY for it to idle smoothly - a vacuum leak sounds like a likely option, incorrect timing, fouled plugs/wires/distribuitor cap/rotor are also likely possibilities - all need to be soob OEM for proper performance - the advance mechanisms for the distys tend to get jammed too - may need a disty rebuild you say it is a CA emissions car? does it have a computer? if so, is the O2 sensor new? if it is not new, replace the O2 sensor - that should help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singlecoil Posted March 31, 2005 Author Share Posted March 31, 2005 Thanks a lot for the tips. When they replaced the engine, they put in new sparkplug wires, plugs, etc. Probably not the disty, though. It does have California emissions on it, and the ECS light periodically lights. I had that looked at in Seattle several years ago, and they said it was some little part that cost around $350 and didn't do much. A piece of black electrical tape suddenly appeared over my ECS light. Is the O2 sensor easy to replace and cheap? Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karinvail Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 using the lower octane fuel will cause the fuel mileage to suffer...... I personally always use super in my rigs...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Roberts Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 I don't know this from personal experience, I'm just learning as I buy a friend's '88 GL in California. The computer apparently doesn't just monitor sensors and turn on an idiot light, it also has outputs that depend on the inputs. It's not just idiot lights, it's idiot engine management. "It never does just what I want, but only what [the sensors] tell it" or inother words "Garbage In, Garbage Out" -- if all the sensors are not good, even if the computer itself is good. Now as to exactly WHAT the computer will be sending bad instructions to .... um, got me now. Anyone KNOW what functions are affected by the computer on these older Subarus? I'd sure like to know. For sure. Word I've rec'd by email is -- the ECMs are usually good from junkyards and may be as cheap as $20. I've found third party new ones on the web for about $150; remanufactured Subaru for around $350 (bet that's what your mechanic was looking at) and new Subaru for (gulp) over $700. Everyone's response at first seems to be ignore the light (except the California Smog Board, which, um, disagrees). But -- from what I can find out -- ignoring bad output from an engine computer is rather like ignoring bad output from, well, any computer. You get troubles. I dunno. If you can find a cheap computer and swap it in -- after making sure all the sensors are good and the electrical grounds are good and the wires are all good .... write if you get it to work. I've never owned a car newer than 1983, til now. I dread computers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted March 31, 2005 Share Posted March 31, 2005 If your plugs aren't NGK get a set of those and try swapping them in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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